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Building an application</TITLE>
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<A NAME="X-REF301576130"></A><h1>Building an application</h1>
<A NAME="TI451"></A><p>This section describes the basic steps you follow when building
a traditional client/server application. After completing
step 1, you can define the objects used in your application in any
order as you need them.</p>
<A NAME="TI452"></A><p><img src="images/proc.gif" width=17 height=17 border=0 align="bottom" alt="Steps"> To build a traditional client/server
application:</p>
<ol><li class=fi><p>Create the application (using a New wizard)
and specify the library list for the application.</p><p>When you use a Start wizard, you create the Application object,
which is the entry point into the application. The Application object
contains the name of the application and specifies the application-level
scripts.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp41.htm#CAIDBGGED">Chapter 5, "Working with Targets,"</A> and
Part 3, "Coding Fundamentals."</p></li>
<li class=ds><p>Create windows.</p><p>Place controls in the window and build scripts that specify
the processing that will occur when events are triggered.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp89.htm#CAIDEADB">Chapter 11, "Working with Windows."</A></p></li>
<li class=ds><p>Create menus.</p><p>Menus in your windows can include a menu bar, drop-down menus, cascading
menus, and pop-up menus. You define the menu items and write scripts
that execute when the items are selected.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp120.htm#CFHCHJCB">Chapter 14, "Working with Menus and Toolbars."</A></p></li>
<li class=ds><p>Create user objects.</p><p>If you want to be able to reuse components that are placed
in windows, define them as user objects and save them in a library.
Later, when you build a window, you can simply place the user object
on the window instead of having to redefine the components.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp129.htm#BCADFDDI">Chapter 15, "Working with User Objects ."</A></p></li>
<li class=ds><p>Create functions, structures, and events.</p><p>To support your scripts, you define functions to perform processing
unique to your application and structures to hold related pieces
of data. You can also define your own user events.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp74.htm#CDECDFID">Chapter 8, "Working with User-Defined Functions ,"</A> <A HREF="pbugp79.htm#BFCBCEEE">Chapter 9, "Working with User Events ,"</A> and <A HREF="pbugp83.htm#BEGEBIIC">Chapter 10, "Working with Structures ."</A></p></li>
<li class=ds><p>Create DataWindow objects.</p><p>Use these objects to retrieve data from the database, format
and validate data, analyze data through graphs and crosstabs, and
update the database.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp160.htm#BFCDDADG">Chapter 18, "Defining DataWindow Objects "</A> and
the <i>DataWindow Programmers Guide</i>
.</p></li>
<li class=ds><p>Test and debug your application.</p><p>You can run your application at any time. If you discover
problems, you can debug your application by setting breakpoints,
stepping through your code, and looking at variable values during
execution. You can also create a trace file when you run your application
and use PowerBuilder's profiling tools to analyze the application's
performance and logical flow.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp262.htm#CAICJCBI">Chapter 32, "Debugging and Running Applications ,"</A> and <A HREF="pbugp266.htm#CAICJCMK">Chapter 33, "Tracing and Profiling Applications ."</A></p></li>
<li class=ds><p>Prepare an executable.</p><p>When your application is complete, you prepare an executable
version to distribute to your users.</p><p>See <A HREF="pbugp272.htm#CAIBCBBH">Chapter 34, "Creating Executables and Components."</A></p></li></ol>
<br><A NAME="TI453"></A><h4>Using other books</h4>
<A NAME="TI454"></A><p>This book tells you how to use PowerBuilder painters and tools. </p>
<A NAME="TI455"></A><p>For programming techniques for building applications and components
for deployment to the .NET Framework, see <i>Deploying Applications
and Components to .NET</i>
.</p>
<A NAME="TI456"></A><p>For programming techniques for building applications and building
clients and components for application servers, see <i>Application
Techniques</i>
.</p>
<A NAME="TI457"></A><p>For programming techniques related to DataWindows, including
using the Web DataWindow, see the <i>DataWindow Programmers
Guide</i>
.</p>

